Not Applicable.
Currently, there are several versions of clutches in fishing reels. Some of these are made xe2x80x9cswitchablexe2x80x9d externally by alternately holding the outer ring of a one-way clutch or letting it freewheel. An exemplary apparatus is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,570,851, Yamaguchi, et al., assigned to Daiwa Seiko, Inc. (xe2x80x9cYamaguchi ""851xe2x80x9d). In Yamaguchi ""851, a roller-type clutch is provided between the rotor and the reverse rotation prevention member so as to kinematically connect the rotor and the member to each other when the rotor is reversely rotated in such a direction as to unwind a fishing line.
Other clutches perform a disengagable one-way clutch action internally, that is, urging pins out of contact with the shaft, effectively disabling the one-way action. An example of this mechanism is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,927,630, Katayama, assigned to Daiwa Seiko, Inc. (xe2x80x9cKatayama ""630xe2x80x9d).
Both of these methods require manufacture of surfaces hard enough to be able to withstand rolling loads and other forces without degrading those surfaces, for example by gouging or pitting, so that materials such as hardened steel or high performance metal alloy similar to those typically used in the manufacture of ball bearings must be used. The use of these relatively expensive materials leads to greater expense in manufacture. Furthermore, those materials are frequently heavy, increasing the overall weight of the fishing reel, which is an undesirable characteristic. Additionally, the prior art clutches require adding more parts or complex parts to the fishing reel, increasing the overall complexity and manufacturing expense.
The present invention divides the traditional clutch case into two parts, and involves urging the outer ring contact surfaces away radially from a binding position with rolling members or pins and a shaft, thereby rendering the one-way action of the clutch disabled. This solution has several benefits over existing clutches, either externally or internally controlled. The first benefit is that the switchable clutch of the present invention has only one more part than a conventional one-way clutch. The second benefit is that only one relatively simple part needs to move, so multiple parts or a complex single part is not required to change the action. A third benefit is that since the housing half of the case primarily places rolling members in position and does not take significant loads, the housing half can be made out of plastic, carbon fiber, or other non-metal material. This makes for a strong, yet extremely lightweight switchable clutch at a lower cost. Other and further advantages will become apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the following disclosure.
More specifically, the clutch of the present invention, when engaged, operates like any other one-way clutch. The pins or rolling members roll with the shaft and allow for movement in one direction, but bind the shaft to an outer fixed surface, prohibiting rotation when the shaft is urged in the opposite direction. However, the present invention is made switchable from one-way action to free-wheel action, that is, shaft motion is allowed in both directions by separating the outer binding surface from the main housing of the clutch, allowing it to move radially and allow the surface required to bind the shaft to move away from contact with the rolling members and shaft, thereby allowing the shaft to freewheel. Optionally, stops limit rotation beyond the off position and place the actuator in an optimal xe2x80x9conxe2x80x9d position.